Tension device for braiding-machines.



s. W. WARDWELL & B. F. PARKS.

TENSION DEVICE FOR BRAIDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED HAY 3,1909,

Patented Jan.17,1911.

//W//70/?$ 29 WWMQM 99% BY mam/5355s TED A E AT carica- SIMON w. wARDtvELh AND EDWARD r. ranks, or PROVIDENCE, RHODE, retain).

ension nnvrcn FORJgRAIDING-MACHINES.

Specifieatihnof Letters Patent. Patented Jant 1'7, 1911.

Application fi1ed May a, 1909/ Serial No. 493,715.

1T 0, all whom it may concern: w

Be it. known that we, SIMON lVflVARD- WELL and EDWARD F. PA1i 1is, .citizens of the United $ta'tes, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tension Devices for Braiding-Machines, of which the following visla specification. I 4

'Ou'rinv'ention isan improved tension- (18-, vice for braiding machines and its purpose" is to produce a device which shall sensitively respond to the demands-of high speed braiding without loss of strength or dura bility. j

The novel and meritorious features of my invention are fully disclosed inthe followingspecification and accompanying'drawon which is mounted the supply-holder 5.

ings, which latter show respectively Figure 11, a front elevation of my device; ,Fig. 2, a

plan view of the same; Figs. 3, 4 and 5, detailed construction.

The'tension device consists of a bracket 2 having a hub 3 in which is secured a stud 4:,

The latter consists of a stem 8- With blades or spurs 9 to rotatively secure the supply, a .spring latch 10 to secure the yarn supply from longitudinal displacement, and a base 11. Adjoining this base is a detentpr pawl '12 which, controlled in position by the vary- "ing tension of theyarir delivered by the supply, either permits orprevents rotation of the supply holder by disengagement from or 35 engagement with the teeth 13 that are formed in-the' rim .or periphery 14 of the base. I

h-The' pawl is mou' ted to turn on the rock shaft 15,3. U-shape stop pin 16 preventing earceaasive' movement, either to or away from zthebas'e lland its, teeth 13, and a spring 17 tendin "to hold the pawl 12 in engagement with eteeth 13,; At the upper end of the roekshaft is an' arm 18 made preferably of thin, resilient material in behalf of'lightmass as well as" elasticity, and'at the bottom isan arm 2-1-for actuating stop devices which are :not' subject of this ap li'cation, there fore npt here described. A jacent the pawl 112,; there is secured to the rock shaft '15 an arm 19, and on the pawl 12 there is a projection or pin 20 opposed to the arm 19 and by which the pawl; m -a be moved or, controlled .from' the rock sha t 15. Adjacent the arm l8 is a yarn g'uille. mounting or arm .3,-

guidearm 23 extends substantially tangent thereto. The extremity of the arm' 18 extends behind the ,y'arn'guide 25 so the two arms cannot entirely separate'but their resilience and tangential contact keep their extremities apart. Under the'minor fluctuatlons of yarntension, particularly those due to the passage of the yarn from the supplyover and .under the passing carriers, the l ght, resilient arm 23 alternately yields and recovers, thus maintaining the yarn'ftaut, in

action, like a fishing pole which by its elasticity accommodates itself to the pull on-the line. The arm 18 also bends resiliently, but less readily than the arm 23 so that with increasingtension or pull on the yarn, the arm 23 gradually-conforms to the curvature of the arm 18 until, 'under extreme tension, there is entire conformation and the two-arms act as one, like a', laminated spring. The'arm .18 is opposed to the action of the guide arm 23 by a spring 26 suitably anchored and connected withthe arm 21, and also by the pawl spring 17. In case resistance to delivery of the yarn-occurs, sufiicient to move the arm 19- against the pin 20 to -move the latter, the pawl 12 is'thereby dis- ;preferably of spring wire in substantially hairpin form, the loop 24 of which is drawn together .toconform to the yarn guide or eyelet 25, Fig: 5. The arm 18 is'curved and the en 'aged. from the ratchet teeth of the supply ho der '5, "permitting the latter to turn and give-off yarn. Should the yarn deliver with undue freedom the arm 18 will'return under action of the spring 26 in the direction of the arrow- A, thereby removing'the arm 19 from the pin 20,"releasing the pawl-12 so that it.

moves under theaction' of the spring 17 "again into engagement with'the teeth of the sup ly holder to restrain the latter from giving ofl" yarn 'By varying the intensity of action of the pawl sprin 17 the tension on the yarn may be adjuste -This variation might be so cured by a change of springs, but I prefer to; accomplish it otherwise. The's ring 17 1s 'anchored'to an arm 2?.whichis a justa'ble in position.- It is preferably formed of sheet metal with abeering 29 onthe rock shaft 15' between the pawl 12 and the face 28 .of the bracket 2. From this bearing, the

Q arm extends to and is. fo med, over theed e 30' of the bracket, which edge is concentric. with the rock shaft 15. The underjsurface 11o ofthe bracketyat orbnea'r its edge 30, is

corresponding y graduated, the arm 27 hav- The arm ing an index portion 31to register with the. graduations. I t

I 27 is so formed that it must besprung down in order to disengage from thenotches 32. The elasticengagement of [the arm'27 with the notches 32'sufiices to resist theactioniof the pawl spring 17 and by varying 'theposition'of the arm the degree of; extension, and therefore'thq intensity of aetiomi'o'f the page spring 17, can be varied.

' The i-armJB is .secured,bynovel-means to 1 1ts: .rocl rffshaft.',; In the latter is "madefa small I .rock. shaft,see Fig. 4.

keyi way' "or spline-way 134, see Fig.- 3. Thearin isiofsubstantially triangular-form and theextremity of the wideor base end is fOrined'SIia-i' 1y at. rightangles to constitute -a key}j35,"w nee-he metal adjacent this key is wrap ed? cyllnderwise around the rock shafttoforma hub. The. arm '18 is secured 1 longitudinally-o "the rock shaft-by the ring 336 which consti ute's one of the hubs ofthe .a groove 37' in the.

guide arm 23, sprung into The supply holder'stem. 8 extends only j Way through the supply (indicated by otted lines) andfi's surmounted by a spring latch l0 which is secured .in the cap 41 of the stem '8. This latch 'is of. substantially hair pin'form, the lodp of which is formed over at 42. to easily enter the supply, and to form the abutment 14 for the end of the supply, to hold it in place. "lfhe construction described is believed to be entirely novel; its 'merit' is'manifest. By

combining'a sensitively responsive resilient arm with another resilient arm which yields 1 less readily and by making the two of difin intensityof-reactioinQbut ratherin the senseof employing a member 23 whlch,

within its range of individual action, is ade-" quate to control tension conditions falling withln that range, but which, beyond that .range is reinforced by another member wh chaccumulates or adds to the tension resistance tothe pull of the yarn;

' The curved arm 18 is a reinforcementin a double sense; it augments the tension imparted-by the light arm and also supports the arm so it cannot be, bent out of shape. \Vithout the support of the arm 18 the arm 23 would bend with the strain of resistance always at ,onepoint, tending to bending about that; point and consequent crystallization and-breakage. By curving one of the two arms so the light arm 23 strainihg efi ect is prevented, and the bend-- i'ng point of the light" arm 23' is caused to graduallyapproach its guide eye, and thus it opposes an increasing resistance whichgraduallybuilds up tothat of the stiffer arml8i .By'adjusting the spring 17 the pawl is yarn tension" or unresponsive except to extremeipull of the yarn; so that the light arm 23 en ces to release the pawl or so that both quired' to perform that Qfuhction. It fol lows that adjustmentof the-spring 17 causes a variation in the degree'of conformation' -of the arm 23Ito the arm 18;

' Without limiting ourselves to. the precise form ofconstruction described, we claim:

' 1. In 'aQtensiondevice for braiding machines, the combination with a yarn. supply holder and dete'nttofcontrol the same, of an armand connections to controlthe detent, a

- guide and resilient -mouriting therefor hav- -ing a movement independent of the arm, and

means'to resist suchmovement with relation to. the arm.

'. shall gradually conform to the arm 18, this 2 formed with'detent notches'32 with which "the farm 27 en ages, and the upper surface is" made to respond sensitively tovariations of the arm 18 an'd the arm 23 combined are rev In. a tension device'for'braiding machines, the combination with'a yarn supply holder and a detent actuating rock shaft having a spline 34, of a thin metal arm, one

extremity of which is formed as a key 35 with the adjacent portion formed as; a hub 1 I to receive the rock shaft, means to secure the arm longitudinally of the rock shaft and 7 means to actuate the arm from the yarn. 3. In a tension device for braiding machines, the combination with a yarn supply holder and a detent actuating rock shaft "into the groove 3-7 and means to actuate the arm from the yarn.

-' 4. In a tension device for braiding machines, the comblnationwith a yarn supply holder and adetent, of a rock shaft having" a key way 34 and a groove 37, a thin metal arm 18 to act onthe detent, having'a-bow shaped portion one extrlemity of which is formed as a key 35-to fit the key way aforesaid with the adjacent portionformed as a hub to receive the rock shaft, a wire arm 23 having loops about the rock shaft, one of which 36 engages the groove 37, said wire arm extending from the rock shaft adjacent the arm l8,imeans to .vary the resistance of the arm 18 to'inovement by the arm 23, and dev ces through which the arm 18 acts on the detent. I

5. In a tension device for braiding machines, the combination with-a yarn supply holder and a detent engaging the same, of

to act thereon, and resilient means acting,

through the bowed arm to resist the action of the yarn guide arm.

6. In a tension device for braiding machines, the combination with a yarn supply holder and a detent engaging the same, of

instrumentalit-ies. for controlling the detent, including a rock shaft, a yarn guide, a resilient arm for the yarn 'guide mounted on the rock shaft, and a bowed arm adjacent the yarn guide arm, to which the latter conforms to a varying degree under varying yarn tension. I

7. In a tensiondevice for-braiding machines, the combination with' a yarn supply holder and a detent engaging the same, of instrumentalities for controlling the detent including a'ya'rn guide, aresilient arm for theyarn guide, a bowed arm to which the resilient arm on the rockzshaft extending adjacent to the yarn'guide'conforms, to different extents with varying degrees of yarn tension, and means on the rock shaft'to, operate the detent.

8. In a tension device for braiding machines, the combination witha cop holder and detent engaging the same, of instrumentalities for controlling the detent including a yarn guide, a resilient arm therefor, an arm on the rock shaft formed with a bowshaped portion towhich the resilient arm conforms under tension to an extent dependent on the degree of yarn tension and of resistance opposed by the bowed arm, and means to yieldinglyoppose the bowed arm to the resilient guidearm.

9. In a tension device for braiding machines, the combination with a cop holder and detent engaging the same, of instrumentalities for controlling the detent including ayarn guide, a resilient arm therefor, an'

arm on the rock shaft formed with a bowshaped portion to which the resilient arm conforms under tension to an extent dependent upon the degree of yarn tension and of reslstance opposed by the bowed arm, means to oppose the bowed arm to the resilient guide arm and means to vary the intensity of such opposition. r

' 10. In a tension device for braiding machines, the combination with a bracket 2 having a graduated notched edge 30, a yarn supply holder and detent engaging the same, of meansfor varying the action of the detent including an arm 18 through which the yarn acts, of a spring 1'? acting on the detent tooppose the action of the arm 18, a'second arm 27 to which the spring is anchored and whose'extremity is formed over the edge 30 to engage the notches of said edge' 11. .In a braiding carrier, a rotatable yarn supply holder, means to lock said holder against rotation, a shaft parallel to the axis of the holder and meanson the shaft operated by the tension of the yarn to releasesaid locking means.

12. In a braiding carrier, a rotatable yarn supply holder, a detent to lock said holder against rotation, a plurality of separated bearings in the frame of the carrier, a shaft 1 journaled in said bearings parallel to the axis of the holder and means on the shaft operated by the tension of the thread to re- 7 lease the detent.

13. In a braiding carrier, a rotatable yarn supply holder, a detent to lock said holder against rotation, a plurality of separated hearings in the frame of the carrier, a spring controlled shaft journaled in said bearings parallel to the axis of the holder and an arm on the shaft operated by. the tension of the thread to rotate the shaft and thereby efl'ect the release of the detent.

14. In a braidin carrier, a rotatable yarn supply holder, a etent to lock said holder against rotation, an engaging member on said detent, a spring-controlled shaft parallel to the axis of the holder, means on the shaft to rotate the same by the tension of the thread and a member on the shaft to engage the first na-med member when the shaft is rotated and release the detent.

' In testimony whereof We aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses. SIMON W. WVARDWELL.

\ EDWARD F. PARKS Witnesses:

GRACE WV. BROWN, (RANK E. DysoN. 

